Chance

Chapter Five - Teni, Heaven's Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki nor any of its characters, dattebayo.

Enjoy

There was a period of silence that hung heavily in the air. Goku, who was surprisingly quiet the whole time, spoke up. "Because... because her name isn't actually Sato. She was punished for something she had done. Her name is Niroi Setsu, Hakkai." Goku's eyes were blurred over in confusion. He turned to the merciful goddess for advice. "B-but she couldn't have done something that bad that-" The goddess cut him off. "Your friend seems to be missing pieces of information. I'll explain when you four bastards decide that being a prune for the rest of your life isn't such a good idea."

The four men and child rose up from the spring, and exited curtly, each silent and reviewing in their heads what was going on.

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When they were back at their room, Hakkai tucked the child in the bed, watching as she snuggled the blankets and fell asleep quickly. Konzeon Bosatsu regarded the child with an almost fascinated look. The healer sat on the floor beside Gojyo who was chewing on a cigarette slowly. Sanzo was turned around to face the wall in his bed, with Goku lying on the floor beside him.

The merciful goddess took all this in with a trace of humor in her features. Then she began, "You asked me a question, saru? Hmph. Did you think that all gods were righteous and heavenly? Childish assumptions tend to be foolish. She did something wrong. Not deadly, but wrong. And of course, she had to be punished. Don't look at me like that, saru. I'm not saying i agreed with his choice of punishment-"

"Punishment?" Hakkai repeated, frowning. He looked back at the sleeping figure. She didn't look a bit distressed. "In subtle but effective and horrible way. To be cursed as a child for the rest of her life, imprisoned, abandoned, alone, forever, unable to speak, or even cry out in pain. An effective idea-"

"Why?!" The ivory skinned woman looked upon the boy heretic who was shaking volently. "Goku..." Hakkai shifted his eyes to the ground. He knew that the boy was hurt, having experienced the same sort of pain trapped and deserted, imprisoned for five hundred years. Goku managed to grasp a hold on himself. When he spoke again, his voice shook slightly. "Nobody... Nobody should have nobody to care about them in the world. I-i... don't want her to suffer like that, Sanzo! C-can't you do something, Sanzo?"

The golden haired man did not reply at his pleading voice, but felt his heart tighten in his chest. "Oy, oy, quit it will you, saru? That helpless monk can't do anything for you. That's why I'm here." Konzeon Bosatsu said with a rough voice. She grinned at the big eyed boy that resembled some sort of a creature with his yellow eyes. "Gods are forbidden to appear on earth unless specific standards are met. Since I'm responsible for your bastards mission, anything related to you is called for. That includes her. Besides, two days ago, that old bastard died in battle..."

Goku's eyes widened, and the tears disappeared as fast as they came. "You're going to change her back? F-for real?" She nodded. "O-oba-san!! You are a nice lady after all!!" Goku ran forewards like a young child and jumped up to hug the goddess, who did not waste any time in pushing him off. Hakkai and Gojyo exchanged glances and bit their tongues to stop a laugh. "Saru! Who're you callin' oba-san?! O-oy!! Get off me! I might change my mind about this-"

"You are the merciful goddess; the name isn't just a fashion accessory after all." Gojyo grinned, as Kanzeon Bosatsu huffed, and fixed her hair. Stridding foreward to the bed, she lay a hand on her heart. Turning around, she winked at the four. "Ja ne, bastards." She said before a sudden blast of heavenly white surrounded the room. They had to shield their eyes from the blinding light. Looking up, it was as if heaven it self had opened above their heads.

Turning their eyes to the remains of the goddess' work, they saw sleeping soundly on the bed was the girl, whos body had been replaced by that of a woman about twenty or so years old. She looked exactly like when she was in the body of a child, her dark hair was still wet from earlier. She was not finely built and extremely curvy like the other beauties they had come upon so far, but was built sparingly.

An echoing laugh rang through each of their ears, coming from the fading light from above. Sanzo growled, his growing dislike for the woman evident in his voice as he spoke. "Che. Now that she's like this, what the hell are we supposed to do with her?!" The voice that descended down had a trace of humor in it. "Why, I suppose since you have saved her as you had with your pet monkey, you'd do the same thing by keeping her of course."

"N-nani?!" But the light had diminished and faded away before he could say anymore.

Thank you for reading.